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security(slm): PlaybookExecutor passes secret extra_vars as CLI args — visible in /proc cmdline to local users #11735
Description
Problem
PlaybookExecutor._build_ansible_command (autobot-slm-backend/services/playbook_executor.py:249-251) passes every extra_var as a CLI argument:
if extra_vars:
for key, value in extra_vars.items():
cmd.extend(["-e", f"{key}={value}"])Since execute_playbook auto-merges fetch_deploy_secrets() into extra_vars (#3519 — tts_hf_token, autobot_internal_api_key), secret values are visible in the process argv (ps, /proc/<pid>/cmdline) to ANY local user for the entire playbook run (deploys run for minutes). Log lines are safe (only cmd[:5] is logged) — this is strictly the argv exposure.
Fix direction
Write extra_vars to a 0600 temp JSON file and pass -e @<file> (ansible-native), deleting it in a finally. Alternatively pass secrets via environment + lookup('env', ...), but the @file form needs no playbook changes.
ACs
- Secret extra_vars never appear in the ansible-playbook argv
- Temp vars file is 0600 and removed after the run (including on failure)
- Existing playbooks work unchanged (
-e @filesupplies identical vars) - Unit test: command builder produces
-e @<path>and the file contains the vars
Activity
fix(slm/security): pass ansible extra_vars via 0600 temp file, not ar…
fix(slm/security): pass ansible extra_vars via 0600 temp file, not ar…
github-actions commentedon Jul 15, 2026
PR #11744 (merged to
Dev_new_gui) references this issue with a close keyword.If this issue is fully resolved, close it manually. If work remains, no action is needed.
mrveiss commentedon Jul 15, 2026
Closed — merged to Dev_new_gui via PR #11744, squash commit
a5764de49.AC evidence (verbatim):
_build_ansible_commandnow emits-e @<file>; regression test asserts NOkey=valueanywhere in argv.write_temp_extra_varsuses mkstemp (0600, uid-scoped dir, verified by test); unlinked in the samefinallyas the per-run temp inventory._build_ansible_commandcall sites).Verification: 14 passed (new suite + adjacent test_apply_secrets.py); black/bandit/py_compile clean; CI fully green on merge tip (smoke, code-quality, startup-import-smoke, Unit & Integration, Test Summary).